Florida Student Who Bit Off Chicken's Head Charged with Animal Abuse
A 17-year-old Florida high school student is accused of biting off the head of a chicken on March 31.
David Andrew Jimenez faces felony animal cruelty charges after allegedly trespassing on University High School grounds in Orange City and entering a chicken coop for a “Farm to Table” event held earlier that day. A teacher discovered the headless body of a chicken in the parking lot on Monday.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said that the chicken’s head was found inside the chicken coop, and eggs had been thrown in the gym and against gym doors. The sheriff’s office said in a press release that a school resource deputy at the high school identified Jimenez after hearing about a student who bragged about biting off the head of a chicken.
“They went into an agricultural program, the farm to table and for basically no other reason, bit the chicken’s head off and kept the head in the mouth, and then wanted to see how the chicken died, I mean it’s pretty sadistic if you think of it,” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said to WOFL.
Chitwood said the student bragged about what he did, prompting several students to inform the school.
Beth Bechir, who donated the chickens to culinary students at the high school called the incident “very disturbing” in an interview with WOFL. “To kill an animal, a live animal and it’s sad that the kids worked very hard.”
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Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said Jimenez was turned over to his mother on Tuesday with a court date on Wednesday. The arrest report said that when deputies asked Jimenez why he did it, he responded that he has “violent outbursts.”
Additional charges against any students who may have been involved in the incident are possible, the sheriff’s office said in its statement. Volusia County Sheriff's Office told Newsweek that no other students have been charged.
Jimenez was charged with felony animal abuse and trespassing on school property. He is expected in court on Wednesday.